As I sit here on a Sunday night, getting myself prepared for the week ahead, I realized that instead of thinking and worrying about what is to come tomorrow or the next day, I needed to focus my energies on being thankful for this weekend brought. This was, after all, a wonderful weekend. And I had many, many favorite moments, things and happenings...
1. My mom being here for me and Noah.
2. Getting to Skype for the first time with Mike while he was in Belgium.
3. Discovering a new restaurant in Dekalb.
4. Watching my mom's creativity in the bead store.
5. Finding the kids' resale shop and finding some great gently worn treasures for Noah.
6. My sister.
7. Looking around our family room on Friday night and living in the moment.
8. Our girls + Noah shopping day.
9. Getting to bed just a bit earlier.
10. Getting our little guy's 6-month photos (and our first family photos) from our new favorite photographer.
11. Doing the big seasonal switch out of my shoes. (A girl loves her shoes)
12. The unseasonal ladybug that showed up in our house.
13. Mike's arrival home. And the look on Noah's face when he saw his dad.
14. Watching Noah work so very hard at trying to crawl.
15. Planning ahead for our Thanksgiving trip to Muncie. (Which means I won't be stressing out on Wednesday afternoon)
16. My new reed diffuser.
17. An at-home Sunday spa night.
18. Having a few extra minutes to actually read my latest "Real Simple"
19. Looking at the ads in December's "Real Simple" and remembering the excitement and joy I used to feel when I saw an ad I really, really liked. Like I did in college, I was once again inspired to tear out my favorites.
20. Peppermint ice cream. It's finally that time of year.
21. Writing this blog and hoping that I can spend more Sunday evenings thinking about the things that I loved about the weekend.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
My Daily Commute
For me, the daily drive into work has always been a time for just me. Me with my thoughts, me with my mental to-do list, me with dealing with my feelings. Ever since college, when I was commuting to Indianapolis 3 days a week for my internship, those hour and 10 minute drives were my time. Back then, I thought a lot about the future – graduating, finally making my dream of working in advertising come true, getting married, worrying about whatever paper or test I needed to study for that was still 2 weeks away. That was my time. Then, when I entered the work force, the daily 30 minute drives to downtown Indy were much of the same – thinking about what I needed to do at work that day, talking with my family on the phone (not the safest I know), and many times worrying about what I needed to do, what I should be doing, or if I was good enough at what I was doing. It almost came to a point where I dreaded those drives. While it was time for me, it was also time where I found me working against myself.
So, what do I think about these days? As a parent, my daily commute has mixed feelings – sadness at leaving my smiling, happy, drooly little boy. There's the familiar feeling of the pre-baby days when I have my regular morning conversation with Mike. And, my thoughts range from what appointments I have that day to how many more loads of laundry that need to be done to how very badly our floors need swept to all of the things I really wish I had time for (making cards, planning ahead for the holidays, knitting, the list could go on and on). I know I need to think about these things when I’m in my car because once I step into the office, it’s all of this fades away. And, that’s been a source of frustration – that I have all of these seemingly incredibly important things that I need to remember to-do (call our builder, call the doctor, make a hair appointment) and once I get to work, I never remember it. It’s a very unique thing being a mom that works outside the home – there’s two lives that I feel don’t intersect much. Sure, I make lists (for work and for home), but those get re-written every day. Or, I forget where they are. :)
For now, I’m going to keep trying to do my best thinking in the car and not let frustration take that away from me. That’s always been my time and I think I’d like to keep it. Because even though I think about way too many things (in both facets of my life - work and home), it’s kind of my time to sort things out, get things in order and some days, clear out the cobwebs.
Here's to the time you set aside to think...
Much love,
Ash
So, what do I think about these days? As a parent, my daily commute has mixed feelings – sadness at leaving my smiling, happy, drooly little boy. There's the familiar feeling of the pre-baby days when I have my regular morning conversation with Mike. And, my thoughts range from what appointments I have that day to how many more loads of laundry that need to be done to how very badly our floors need swept to all of the things I really wish I had time for (making cards, planning ahead for the holidays, knitting, the list could go on and on). I know I need to think about these things when I’m in my car because once I step into the office, it’s all of this fades away. And, that’s been a source of frustration – that I have all of these seemingly incredibly important things that I need to remember to-do (call our builder, call the doctor, make a hair appointment) and once I get to work, I never remember it. It’s a very unique thing being a mom that works outside the home – there’s two lives that I feel don’t intersect much. Sure, I make lists (for work and for home), but those get re-written every day. Or, I forget where they are. :)
For now, I’m going to keep trying to do my best thinking in the car and not let frustration take that away from me. That’s always been my time and I think I’d like to keep it. Because even though I think about way too many things (in both facets of my life - work and home), it’s kind of my time to sort things out, get things in order and some days, clear out the cobwebs.
Here's to the time you set aside to think...
Much love,
Ash
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The Great Pumpkin Day
What a ride it’s been. It’s finally fall – my favorite time of year. Since moving to Illinois, I haven’t been able to enjoy it as much as usual. Here it feels like we go from Indian Summer straight to winter, which doesn’t let me acclimate too well to the incredibly windy, cold and sometimes downright miserable winters we have here. But, for the last week or so, fall as set in, so we decided to reach out and grab the chance to introduce Noah to fall. To pumpkins and pumpkin patches. To hayrides and cooler temps. To sweaters and jackets and hats.
This has always been my favorite time of year. Maybe it’s because I always loved fall nights at high school football games. Or the smell of burning leaves. Or that after months of heat and humidity, I could pull out my jeans and sweaters and be bundled up. And, I wanted to be able to share this with our new family. Check out the pics below!
This has always been my favorite time of year. Maybe it’s because I always loved fall nights at high school football games. Or the smell of burning leaves. Or that after months of heat and humidity, I could pull out my jeans and sweaters and be bundled up. And, I wanted to be able to share this with our new family. Check out the pics below!
Next weekend, we’re headed to Iowa so Noah can meet his great-grandparents for the first time. It will be sure to be another great fall weekend with family!
Much love to all,
Mike, Ash, Noah & E!
Much love to all,
Mike, Ash, Noah & E!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Where We Are And Where We've Been
I’m going to stop apologizing. Life is busy and life is full of wonderful things right now, and blogging comes along when there’s a small opening in the day. Don’t get me wrong, I love using this method of communication and updates on us, but there are many, many other things in the day.
Life is good right now. Noah is a growing and thriving 3-month old. He’s smiling. He’s laughing. He loves when his dad lifts him high above his head and flies him around the room. He’s sleeping through the night (most nights), which makes mom and dad very happy. We continue to look at each other each day and just wonder how we got so lucky.
Parenting opens up this whole new world. We knew it was going to be unlike anything we had ever experienced, and that it would be something that no amount of reading could prepare you for. But I did recently read an article on babycenter.com, that was titled “Top 10 Surprises Of New Parenthood.” The article completely opened my eyes and made me want to create my own list. Because in this crazy world of learning how to become a parent, there are stresses, there are laughs and there are a lot of yawns, but no matter what, this is an amazing journey. So, here’s my list.
Top 10 Things I Never Expected When I Became A Parent
1. Losing The “Morning Person” Label. Pre-pregnancy, weekends were never for sleeping in. There was just too much to do. Now, if I can get up, feed Noah and crawl back into bed, I take it. Even though he sleeps through the night, I’m still exhausted.
2. Nothing Can Disgust Me Anymore. Baby = Dirty diapers. Need I say more?
3. Time Flies. It amazes me how fast 30 minutes can go by now. I can have a plan in place to sweep the floors, and Noah will look at me with his big, gummy grin and before I know it, I’m holding him, talking to him and a half an hour is gone.
4. I Truly, Honestly Don’t Know Where The Energy Comes From. By the time I get to work, I feel like I’ve lived a whole day. And, then there’s 8+ hours to get through before the drive home, dinner, maybe a workout, Noah’s bath, bottle and bed (The BBB combo). And surprisingly, I manage somehow to do all of that without any kind of nap. This is way abnormal for me because as many know, I have a little battery. It must be some sort of new mom thing. Or super doses of adrenaline.
5. I Move Much, Much More Slowly. This is something that I didn’t really notice until Mike mentioned it, but for some reason it takes me longer to do anything. Maybe it’s because of #3, or maybe it’s because leaving the house now requires much more preparation than grabbing the keys and leaving. Maybe it’s the extra pregnancy pounds I still need to shed, but I move more slowly.
6. I’ve Had To Become A Lot More Lenient With Myself. I’m going to say it. Pregnancy packed on 48 pounds. Forty-eight pounds. And, no, nursing didn’t magically make it all fall off. Quite the opposite. So, I’m learning to be more accepting of the fact that the weight didn’t come on overnight, so it’s not going to fall off overnight. I’m accepting that working out usually comes in around last place on the list of things to do each day. So, I know that it might be another 9 months before I fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes, but I’m working at it. I’m accepting each glorious lost pound, one at a time, and I look at Noah and realize that he is worth each and every pound gained.
7. There Really, Truly Is Something About Being A Mom. Other moms smile at you in public. People stop you to ask to see your baby. (This is incredibly strange to me. We’ve had people in parking lots stop their cars and ask to see Noah. Very strange.) It’s an insta-community when you’re out in public.
8. Banana Republic: Out; Babies R Us: In. Yeah, there’s really not much shopping anymore with my favorites. Banana Republic. Ann Taylor. Gone. A real treat now is shopping for Noah. I could shop for him all the live long day. I love the days when the new Babies R Us coupons come in the mail…”Score! There’s a coupon for diapers!” Who knew?
9. The Love Is Instant. And Unconditional. I now understand what my mom meant when she would tell me she would love me no matter what. I understand now what my parents meant when they said all they wanted was for me to be happy. I understand now why my parents did everything and anything in their power to make sure I was okay. I understand why my dad came and moved me out of my first college because I was a wreck and didn’t make me stick it out. I get it. Because once your baby is born, nothing matters but their health and their happiness. And I will fight for that for Noah.
10. Parenthood Opens Up A Whole New Meaning Of Love For Your Spouse. And It Makes You Appreciate The Little Things. Without getting too overly emotional and mushy, becoming a parent has made me see Mike in a whole new light. And, it’s a good light. He’s the best dad, hands down. And it's not because he has been looking for a go-kart for Noah since the day we found out we were having a boy. That’s not what makes him a great dad. It’s all the little things. It’s the willingness to drag himself out of bed in the middle of the night if Noah wakes up, it’s the willingness to change the dirtiest of diapers or the excitement at giving Noah his next bottle. Sure, these are things that you might say every dad should do, but honestly, I know I’m darn lucky. And besides, there is no better moment than when Mike is making Noah laugh and I see both of my boys with the biggest grins and having the time of their lives.
That’s it. That’s my list. I know it will change as Noah grows and goes through new stages. But for now, life is good and I see all of the unexpected as good things.
Much love,
Ash
Life is good right now. Noah is a growing and thriving 3-month old. He’s smiling. He’s laughing. He loves when his dad lifts him high above his head and flies him around the room. He’s sleeping through the night (most nights), which makes mom and dad very happy. We continue to look at each other each day and just wonder how we got so lucky.
Parenting opens up this whole new world. We knew it was going to be unlike anything we had ever experienced, and that it would be something that no amount of reading could prepare you for. But I did recently read an article on babycenter.com, that was titled “Top 10 Surprises Of New Parenthood.” The article completely opened my eyes and made me want to create my own list. Because in this crazy world of learning how to become a parent, there are stresses, there are laughs and there are a lot of yawns, but no matter what, this is an amazing journey. So, here’s my list.
Top 10 Things I Never Expected When I Became A Parent
1. Losing The “Morning Person” Label. Pre-pregnancy, weekends were never for sleeping in. There was just too much to do. Now, if I can get up, feed Noah and crawl back into bed, I take it. Even though he sleeps through the night, I’m still exhausted.
2. Nothing Can Disgust Me Anymore. Baby = Dirty diapers. Need I say more?
3. Time Flies. It amazes me how fast 30 minutes can go by now. I can have a plan in place to sweep the floors, and Noah will look at me with his big, gummy grin and before I know it, I’m holding him, talking to him and a half an hour is gone.
4. I Truly, Honestly Don’t Know Where The Energy Comes From. By the time I get to work, I feel like I’ve lived a whole day. And, then there’s 8+ hours to get through before the drive home, dinner, maybe a workout, Noah’s bath, bottle and bed (The BBB combo). And surprisingly, I manage somehow to do all of that without any kind of nap. This is way abnormal for me because as many know, I have a little battery. It must be some sort of new mom thing. Or super doses of adrenaline.
5. I Move Much, Much More Slowly. This is something that I didn’t really notice until Mike mentioned it, but for some reason it takes me longer to do anything. Maybe it’s because of #3, or maybe it’s because leaving the house now requires much more preparation than grabbing the keys and leaving. Maybe it’s the extra pregnancy pounds I still need to shed, but I move more slowly.
6. I’ve Had To Become A Lot More Lenient With Myself. I’m going to say it. Pregnancy packed on 48 pounds. Forty-eight pounds. And, no, nursing didn’t magically make it all fall off. Quite the opposite. So, I’m learning to be more accepting of the fact that the weight didn’t come on overnight, so it’s not going to fall off overnight. I’m accepting that working out usually comes in around last place on the list of things to do each day. So, I know that it might be another 9 months before I fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes, but I’m working at it. I’m accepting each glorious lost pound, one at a time, and I look at Noah and realize that he is worth each and every pound gained.
7. There Really, Truly Is Something About Being A Mom. Other moms smile at you in public. People stop you to ask to see your baby. (This is incredibly strange to me. We’ve had people in parking lots stop their cars and ask to see Noah. Very strange.) It’s an insta-community when you’re out in public.
8. Banana Republic: Out; Babies R Us: In. Yeah, there’s really not much shopping anymore with my favorites. Banana Republic. Ann Taylor. Gone. A real treat now is shopping for Noah. I could shop for him all the live long day. I love the days when the new Babies R Us coupons come in the mail…”Score! There’s a coupon for diapers!” Who knew?
9. The Love Is Instant. And Unconditional. I now understand what my mom meant when she would tell me she would love me no matter what. I understand now what my parents meant when they said all they wanted was for me to be happy. I understand now why my parents did everything and anything in their power to make sure I was okay. I understand why my dad came and moved me out of my first college because I was a wreck and didn’t make me stick it out. I get it. Because once your baby is born, nothing matters but their health and their happiness. And I will fight for that for Noah.
10. Parenthood Opens Up A Whole New Meaning Of Love For Your Spouse. And It Makes You Appreciate The Little Things. Without getting too overly emotional and mushy, becoming a parent has made me see Mike in a whole new light. And, it’s a good light. He’s the best dad, hands down. And it's not because he has been looking for a go-kart for Noah since the day we found out we were having a boy. That’s not what makes him a great dad. It’s all the little things. It’s the willingness to drag himself out of bed in the middle of the night if Noah wakes up, it’s the willingness to change the dirtiest of diapers or the excitement at giving Noah his next bottle. Sure, these are things that you might say every dad should do, but honestly, I know I’m darn lucky. And besides, there is no better moment than when Mike is making Noah laugh and I see both of my boys with the biggest grins and having the time of their lives.
That’s it. That’s my list. I know it will change as Noah grows and goes through new stages. But for now, life is good and I see all of the unexpected as good things.
Much love,
Ash
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
More Noah, The Month Of May and Other Random Things
Yeah, yeah, it's been a while.
I was fortunate enough to celebrate my first Mother's Day this year with Mike, my mom and my sister. My mom made the trip to Dekalb for the weekend and we had a great time. Noah treated me to a massage that was absolutely wonderful, and Mike treated the three of us to a great lunch on Mother's Day.
Noah is now almost 8 weeks old, which means mommy heads back to work. This coming Monday to be exact. So many people in the last week have been asking me if I'm ready. And, what I tell them is that I feel like I have a healthy balance in attitude about it. I know it's going to be hard. I know when I drop him off at his wonderful day care on Monday morning that I'm going to cry. I know I'll walk into our Monday Morning Production Meeting needing a touch up of make-up. But at the same time, I know this is what is best for me and for Noah. We are completely blessed to have found a home day care with one of our neighbors who lives right behind us. There will only be at most 5 other children there on any given day, and Noah will be the only infant. We went over to Miss Jennifer's yesterday and Noah was able to spend time with Miss Jennifer, and the other children were able to meet Noah and get excited about him joining their clan. I think all in all, this will be a blessing for him. He'll get additional exposure to other children in a wonderful environment. I say this, but it's still going to be hard.
Noah is growing and thriving and just making us smile and laugh each day. Speaking of smiling, our little guy started smiling on Memorial Day. It was just the absolute sweetest thing I have ever seen, and now, we just melt when we get that gummy, wide grin that he has mastered so well.
I was fortunate enough to celebrate my first Mother's Day this year with Mike, my mom and my sister. My mom made the trip to Dekalb for the weekend and we had a great time. Noah treated me to a massage that was absolutely wonderful, and Mike treated the three of us to a great lunch on Mother's Day.Sunday, May 3, 2009
Noah's First Two Weeks
Mom & Noah's First Photo Shoot
Dad & Noah's First Picture
Noah's First Bath
Relaxing With Mom
Tummy Time On The LilypadWelcome To The World, Noah Robert Murcia!
I’ll start by begging for forgiveness. It’s taken me 2 weeks to get anything posted on this blog about the arrival of our son, but I’ll just plead the new mom case. We’ve spent the last 2 weeks learning more about our little boy, and helped him get acclimated to life in the real world. In short, it’s been a wonderful 2 weeks.
To go back to the beginning, I’ll give as short a story as possible about Noah’s arrival. We were induced on Sunday, April 19, arriving at the hospital very, very early in the morning to check in. By 7:20am, I was set up on the Pitosin and trying to get some rest (which wasn’t coming easy…there was just too much to think about!) The next 12 hours went by with little progress, and a lot of frustration and very little rest. By 7pm, my doctor finally came in and gave us two options – stop the Pitosin and re-start it the next morning, or break my water and start the time clock to getting our little boy here. Thankfully enough, the doctor decided to assess where I was and he said the words I was longing to hear – “you’re progressing, let’s break your water!” I think when he said that, I actually yelled out “Rock On!” and from there, he said, “We’re going to have a baby tonight!” So, from here, things started moving and each hour brought more progress until we got to 1:50am on Monday morning. This is when my nurse (her name was Kari and she was the BEST nurse I could have ever asked for) said it was time to push.
Pushing started and lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes. The strangest thing about this night was there were 6 women all in labor at the same time, with 3 of us with my doctor. So, my nurse kept telling me that we were in competition with the woman in room 2. Let’s just say the doctor went to room 2 before my room, but I don’t feel badly about it – it was her 2nd or 3rd baby, so she was able to move things along faster than I could.
Then, finally, at 4:18am on Monday, April 20, 2009, Noah Robert Murcia arrived into the world. He spent 15 minutes with a neonatologist since he had been a little stressed out during the delivery and I had a fever during labor, but he screamed the entire time which was the best sound I had ever heard. Finally, around 4:45am, Mike brought our son over to me so that I could hold him. And, he was the most aware and awake newborn I had ever seen. And, then finally around 5:15am, our family was able to come in and meet Noah – everyone had stayed up all night, waiting for Noah’s arrival. And, then by 6:15am, Mike, Noah and I were settled into our new room on the Mother/Baby Unit, and it was finally time to sleep for Mike and me. Sleep didn’t come so easily though for either of us…we were a family now and there were so many other things to think about.
This is the story of Noah’s birth, a day, night and another morning that we will never forget. It’s amazing to us just how much he’s already changed in just 2 weeks. We are truly, truly blessed and fortunate to have a healthy, thriving little boy that has stolen our hearts and made us understand a completely different and new kind of love.
Love,
Mike, Ash, Noah & E!
To go back to the beginning, I’ll give as short a story as possible about Noah’s arrival. We were induced on Sunday, April 19, arriving at the hospital very, very early in the morning to check in. By 7:20am, I was set up on the Pitosin and trying to get some rest (which wasn’t coming easy…there was just too much to think about!) The next 12 hours went by with little progress, and a lot of frustration and very little rest. By 7pm, my doctor finally came in and gave us two options – stop the Pitosin and re-start it the next morning, or break my water and start the time clock to getting our little boy here. Thankfully enough, the doctor decided to assess where I was and he said the words I was longing to hear – “you’re progressing, let’s break your water!” I think when he said that, I actually yelled out “Rock On!” and from there, he said, “We’re going to have a baby tonight!” So, from here, things started moving and each hour brought more progress until we got to 1:50am on Monday morning. This is when my nurse (her name was Kari and she was the BEST nurse I could have ever asked for) said it was time to push.
Pushing started and lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes. The strangest thing about this night was there were 6 women all in labor at the same time, with 3 of us with my doctor. So, my nurse kept telling me that we were in competition with the woman in room 2. Let’s just say the doctor went to room 2 before my room, but I don’t feel badly about it – it was her 2nd or 3rd baby, so she was able to move things along faster than I could.
Then, finally, at 4:18am on Monday, April 20, 2009, Noah Robert Murcia arrived into the world. He spent 15 minutes with a neonatologist since he had been a little stressed out during the delivery and I had a fever during labor, but he screamed the entire time which was the best sound I had ever heard. Finally, around 4:45am, Mike brought our son over to me so that I could hold him. And, he was the most aware and awake newborn I had ever seen. And, then finally around 5:15am, our family was able to come in and meet Noah – everyone had stayed up all night, waiting for Noah’s arrival. And, then by 6:15am, Mike, Noah and I were settled into our new room on the Mother/Baby Unit, and it was finally time to sleep for Mike and me. Sleep didn’t come so easily though for either of us…we were a family now and there were so many other things to think about.
This is the story of Noah’s birth, a day, night and another morning that we will never forget. It’s amazing to us just how much he’s already changed in just 2 weeks. We are truly, truly blessed and fortunate to have a healthy, thriving little boy that has stolen our hearts and made us understand a completely different and new kind of love.
Love,
Mike, Ash, Noah & E!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
T-Minus Four Days And Counting....
Well, here we are. For this entire pregnancy, I have been receiving weekly e-mails from Babycenter.com, which tell me how many more days I have left to go. I remember when the number was in the 200s. Today, it's 4. Wow. Four days left.
So, here's an update...bascially, not a whole lot is happening. Without going into too much detail, this little guy seems to be perfectly happy with the free ride he's getting right now - warmth, no direct exposure to the northern Illinois winds, an adequate supply of bagels (which I eat in bulk these days). I went to see my doctor yesterday and I asked the $1 million question - "So, if we get to Saturday and he's not arrived, what's the plan?" And, my doctor said something that made me want to jump up and down and hug him. He said, "Well, I feel good enough that if he's not here by Saturday, we can just go ahead and schedule you to be induced on Sunday." SUNDAY!!! After I told him that that news made me a very, very happy woman, he made the call and the hospital expects us at 6am on Sunday morning!! That is, if the little one doesn't decide to arrive before then. So, that's where we are. Waiting still - either for what might happen at any moment of any day, or for Sunday morning at 6am.
Just something else to share...last night, Mike asked me what I wanted to do on Saturday. And all of a sudden, I realized that if induction is our path, Saturday will be the last day that it's just Mike and I. Obviously, when you're expecting, you know that any day can be that "last day." But when there's the knowledge of when that "last day" might be, it makes you stop and think. Do we go out for a really nice dinner? A movie? Or just hang out and not make a big deal of it? It's amazing to know that this time next week, we will have met our son and will be able to hold him and introduce him to this world.
Keep checking back for updates...as soon as the little guy arrives, we'll be posting about it!
Love, Ash
So, here's an update...bascially, not a whole lot is happening. Without going into too much detail, this little guy seems to be perfectly happy with the free ride he's getting right now - warmth, no direct exposure to the northern Illinois winds, an adequate supply of bagels (which I eat in bulk these days). I went to see my doctor yesterday and I asked the $1 million question - "So, if we get to Saturday and he's not arrived, what's the plan?" And, my doctor said something that made me want to jump up and down and hug him. He said, "Well, I feel good enough that if he's not here by Saturday, we can just go ahead and schedule you to be induced on Sunday." SUNDAY!!! After I told him that that news made me a very, very happy woman, he made the call and the hospital expects us at 6am on Sunday morning!! That is, if the little one doesn't decide to arrive before then. So, that's where we are. Waiting still - either for what might happen at any moment of any day, or for Sunday morning at 6am.
Just something else to share...last night, Mike asked me what I wanted to do on Saturday. And all of a sudden, I realized that if induction is our path, Saturday will be the last day that it's just Mike and I. Obviously, when you're expecting, you know that any day can be that "last day." But when there's the knowledge of when that "last day" might be, it makes you stop and think. Do we go out for a really nice dinner? A movie? Or just hang out and not make a big deal of it? It's amazing to know that this time next week, we will have met our son and will be able to hold him and introduce him to this world.
Keep checking back for updates...as soon as the little guy arrives, we'll be posting about it!
Love, Ash
Thursday, April 9, 2009
The Great Ceiling Fan Debate And More....
So, as I was looking back through my paltry and pathetic posts from this pregnancy, I realized that in our announcement post, I called out some of the new experiences I was going through as a newly preggers woman. I love hearing other people’s experiences and thought I’d just put together a quick run-down of the fun stuff that comes with an almost full-term pregnancy…
1. The Great Battle Of The Thermostat/Ceiling Fan…I’ve always heard that your body temp tends to rise in pregnancy. No joke, it was 32 degrees when I left for work yesterday morning and I got in my car without a coat and turned the air conditioning on. If I could, the A/C would be on in the house. But for poor Mike and Einstein, we’re compromising.
2. Cravings….Something a lot of people don’t understand is that when you’re 9 months pregnant, your stomach is no longer in the shape of a perfect oval/circle. Rather, it’s squished and just about 2” high. Which means for me, I don’t have the capacity to eat everything in sight, or really have the desire to. As for cravings, I’m a regular at Wendy’s for Chicken Nuggets. On a good note, fruit, water and salad are all on my cravings list. Of course, so are the regular chocolate chip cookies that Mike makes.
3. Why, Oh Why Do The Bottoms Of My Feet Hurt So Badly???...This is a total shocker and I can’t explain it.
4. Sleep….Doesn’t happen. Well, it happens for about 2-3 hours a night, then it’s pretty much a lost cause for the rest of the night.
5. Getting Appropriate Treatment At The DMV…So, I got the honor of going to renew our license plates a couple of weeks ago. Just what I wanted…to go and experience the loveliness of the DMV. But wouldn’t you know it, when you’re pregnant, they are actually NICE to you! They got me in and out in minutes and even made small talk. Wow.
6. Feeling Like You’re A Pretty Strong Chick…I’ve come to understand there’s a process to getting to the point where you say, “Whenever the time comes for this baby to arrive, I’m ready.” For me, I went through the Childbirth class and watched the videos and all that, and came away feeling like, “Okay, I can do this.” Then, there were a couple of weeks where I started to doubt myself. But now, I can say that I’m ready and I believe it. And, it’s kind of a cool feeling to get to that point where you feel strong enough to bring another life into this world.
With that, I’m off to walk around the block 25 times tonight to see if I can’t move things along!
Much love to all,
Ash
1. The Great Battle Of The Thermostat/Ceiling Fan…I’ve always heard that your body temp tends to rise in pregnancy. No joke, it was 32 degrees when I left for work yesterday morning and I got in my car without a coat and turned the air conditioning on. If I could, the A/C would be on in the house. But for poor Mike and Einstein, we’re compromising.
2. Cravings….Something a lot of people don’t understand is that when you’re 9 months pregnant, your stomach is no longer in the shape of a perfect oval/circle. Rather, it’s squished and just about 2” high. Which means for me, I don’t have the capacity to eat everything in sight, or really have the desire to. As for cravings, I’m a regular at Wendy’s for Chicken Nuggets. On a good note, fruit, water and salad are all on my cravings list. Of course, so are the regular chocolate chip cookies that Mike makes.
3. Why, Oh Why Do The Bottoms Of My Feet Hurt So Badly???...This is a total shocker and I can’t explain it.
4. Sleep….Doesn’t happen. Well, it happens for about 2-3 hours a night, then it’s pretty much a lost cause for the rest of the night.
5. Getting Appropriate Treatment At The DMV…So, I got the honor of going to renew our license plates a couple of weeks ago. Just what I wanted…to go and experience the loveliness of the DMV. But wouldn’t you know it, when you’re pregnant, they are actually NICE to you! They got me in and out in minutes and even made small talk. Wow.
6. Feeling Like You’re A Pretty Strong Chick…I’ve come to understand there’s a process to getting to the point where you say, “Whenever the time comes for this baby to arrive, I’m ready.” For me, I went through the Childbirth class and watched the videos and all that, and came away feeling like, “Okay, I can do this.” Then, there were a couple of weeks where I started to doubt myself. But now, I can say that I’m ready and I believe it. And, it’s kind of a cool feeling to get to that point where you feel strong enough to bring another life into this world.
With that, I’m off to walk around the block 25 times tonight to see if I can’t move things along!
Much love to all,
Ash
Sunday, April 5, 2009
A Big Puffy Version Of Ashley
Oh my. Thirty-eight weeks. I’ve been going through this adventure for 38 weeks. For the most part, everything has been wonderful. There are days, moments, but I’ve felt overall pretty good. And, now we’re down to less than 2 weeks to go and I’m ready. I’m ready to meet our son and to see what he looks like and what his personality is. So, for the next 2 weeks, I’m going to do my best to hang in there and wait.
For anyone who’s wondering what a pregnant Ashley looks like, I’ve included the latest photo below….
For anyone who’s wondering what a pregnant Ashley looks like, I’ve included the latest photo below….
So, we’re going to wait it out and see when our little guy is going to decide what day he wants to arrive. Keep checking back for updates!
Love, Ash
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Less Than 4 Weeks To The Big Birthday
That’s what we’ve been calling it. The Big Birthday. Admittedly, it makes me feel better. Less nervous about the actual giving birth part and more excited about the celebration that will ensue after his arrival. I always like a good party, and a birthday party isn’t a birthday party without a birthday cake. Yes, there will be birthday cake at the hospital to welcome our little man. (Thanks to my mom, her last stop before leaving Muncie to get here when we give her “the call” is at a wonderful little bakery that makes amazing cakes to make sure we have a proper celebration!)
There’s been lots going on and a lot of waiting in the last several weeks. Mike finally made his last business trip this last week back to Atlanta and I am so thoroughly excited that he is finished with trips until well after the baby arrives. We’ve both been crazy-busy at work, which we feel blessed with, especially when the news we hear everyday isn’t as great around the country.
I can pretty much say that when it comes to the material needs for a baby, we’re ready. His room is ready, there are diapers, wipes, pacifiers and lots and lots of clothes. (Which are of course organized in his closet by size. Not too big of a surprise to anyone that knows me!) We had a great weekend at the beginning of March with my dad and Ash B. where we got to introduce my dad to Babies R Us. Honestly, it was quite possibly the most adorable scene I had ever seen – my dad scurrying around Babies R Us to make sure that our little guy (and more importantly, his grandson) has everything he needs to be comfortable and happy. We feel so very, very blessed for both of our families and all of our friends that have been so generous in making sure our little man has everything he needs.
Now, to how I’ve been feeling…for the most part, I’m doing well. I have nothing to compare it too, so I just assume that I’m feeling good. Sure, I have my days where it is just so uncomfortable to sit at my desk that I can hardly stand it, but I’m hanging in there. The evenings are probably the worst – I now completely believe that the beginnings of sleep deprivation that occur in the 3rd trimester are preparing you for after the baby comes. I would have to say that I’m pretty much waking up every hour to two hours, either just plain uncomfortable, or with raging heartburn. But, I wouldn’t trade a minute of it. This has been such a wonderful experience and to know that at the end of it, our son will be here is just the greatest feeling.
We also got to make our last trip back to Indiana at the end of February for a lovely baby shower. My dear friends Culleen, Allison, Patti and Megan threw a wonderful shower for me that was just the greatest afternoon with dear family and friends!
We’ll keep everyone posted in the next couple of weeks, as we count down to April 18th!
Love, Ash
There’s been lots going on and a lot of waiting in the last several weeks. Mike finally made his last business trip this last week back to Atlanta and I am so thoroughly excited that he is finished with trips until well after the baby arrives. We’ve both been crazy-busy at work, which we feel blessed with, especially when the news we hear everyday isn’t as great around the country.
I can pretty much say that when it comes to the material needs for a baby, we’re ready. His room is ready, there are diapers, wipes, pacifiers and lots and lots of clothes. (Which are of course organized in his closet by size. Not too big of a surprise to anyone that knows me!) We had a great weekend at the beginning of March with my dad and Ash B. where we got to introduce my dad to Babies R Us. Honestly, it was quite possibly the most adorable scene I had ever seen – my dad scurrying around Babies R Us to make sure that our little guy (and more importantly, his grandson) has everything he needs to be comfortable and happy. We feel so very, very blessed for both of our families and all of our friends that have been so generous in making sure our little man has everything he needs.
Now, to how I’ve been feeling…for the most part, I’m doing well. I have nothing to compare it too, so I just assume that I’m feeling good. Sure, I have my days where it is just so uncomfortable to sit at my desk that I can hardly stand it, but I’m hanging in there. The evenings are probably the worst – I now completely believe that the beginnings of sleep deprivation that occur in the 3rd trimester are preparing you for after the baby comes. I would have to say that I’m pretty much waking up every hour to two hours, either just plain uncomfortable, or with raging heartburn. But, I wouldn’t trade a minute of it. This has been such a wonderful experience and to know that at the end of it, our son will be here is just the greatest feeling.
We also got to make our last trip back to Indiana at the end of February for a lovely baby shower. My dear friends Culleen, Allison, Patti and Megan threw a wonderful shower for me that was just the greatest afternoon with dear family and friends!
We’ll keep everyone posted in the next couple of weeks, as we count down to April 18th!
Love, Ash
Sunday, February 1, 2009
29 Weeks And Counting...
Since I have this enormous guilt about not taking pics of myself during the pregnancy, I have vowed for the next 11 weeks to take a picture every week. Along with this guilt, I've had requests from our family and friends that don't get to see us every week to see what I'm looking like as a pregnant one. So, here is this week's picture, taken in the baby's room.
29 Weeks, 1 Day
We've had a great weekend with Mike's family and had the opportunity to introduce Mike's mom and dad to the land of IKEA. But most of the weekend was spent playing Wii tournaments among all of us. :)
Much love to all!
Ash
Monday, January 26, 2009
Turning Thirty, Five Years Of Wedded Bliss And An Almost Finished Baby's Room
January is always a huge month for us. Not only are we trying to recover from the holidays, but just as we finish getting the last of the holiday decorations put away, we have three more celebrations…my birthday, Mike’s birthday and our wedding anniversary. I know, we really piled it on in one month. At least the arrival of our newest addition will come in springtime, which is always a time we look forward to.
This year’s January was one of milestones. Mike and I turned 30. Then, this last weekend, we celebrated our 5-year wedding anniversary. Typically, by the time we get to our anniversary, we look at each other and know that we’ll both be just fine with going to dinner to quietly celebrate the occasion. That said, the 30th birthdays were pretty exciting for both of us. Here’s a rundown:
My birthday was first up, on Sunday, the 11th. On the Friday before, the plans (to my knowledge) were that my mom, Keith and my sister were headed to our place with the baby’s furniture. And a quiet dinner would fall somewhere in there. On Friday night, after getting home from work, I was folding laundry (glamorous, I know), and around 7:45pm, the doorbell rang. I scurried to the front door (as much as a 6-month pregnant woman can scurry), thinking it was FedEx. I opened the door and my dad was standing on our doorstep. He had flown in from Florida to surprise me for my birthday. And, he brought with him full dinner plans for Saturday night (my dad is a WONDERFUL cook). It was honestly a perfect weekend.
Next up was Mike’s birthday. A much more low-key affair. I admittedly told him that I didn’t have family coming in for a surprise. But I did manage to score his gift that weekend…something evidently so coveted that people pay 1-1/2 to 2 times its value…a Nintendo Wii and a Wii Fit. I have to say that we’ve both gotten kind of addicted to it. J
Then came the anniversary. Very low-key. Dinner out and finishing the baby’s room. But it was very us.
So, that’s our January. We’ve included some pics of the baby’s room, which is basically finished. There are of course pics to hang and the rocker to finish (we’re refinishing my grandfather’s rocking chair), but we’re happy with it.
This year’s January was one of milestones. Mike and I turned 30. Then, this last weekend, we celebrated our 5-year wedding anniversary. Typically, by the time we get to our anniversary, we look at each other and know that we’ll both be just fine with going to dinner to quietly celebrate the occasion. That said, the 30th birthdays were pretty exciting for both of us. Here’s a rundown:
My birthday was first up, on Sunday, the 11th. On the Friday before, the plans (to my knowledge) were that my mom, Keith and my sister were headed to our place with the baby’s furniture. And a quiet dinner would fall somewhere in there. On Friday night, after getting home from work, I was folding laundry (glamorous, I know), and around 7:45pm, the doorbell rang. I scurried to the front door (as much as a 6-month pregnant woman can scurry), thinking it was FedEx. I opened the door and my dad was standing on our doorstep. He had flown in from Florida to surprise me for my birthday. And, he brought with him full dinner plans for Saturday night (my dad is a WONDERFUL cook). It was honestly a perfect weekend.
Next up was Mike’s birthday. A much more low-key affair. I admittedly told him that I didn’t have family coming in for a surprise. But I did manage to score his gift that weekend…something evidently so coveted that people pay 1-1/2 to 2 times its value…a Nintendo Wii and a Wii Fit. I have to say that we’ve both gotten kind of addicted to it. J
Then came the anniversary. Very low-key. Dinner out and finishing the baby’s room. But it was very us.
So, that’s our January. We’ve included some pics of the baby’s room, which is basically finished. There are of course pics to hang and the rocker to finish (we’re refinishing my grandfather’s rocking chair), but we’re happy with it.
Baby Update: Our little guy is doing wonderfully well…he’s growing on target and he’s pretty active all day long! No names yet…and actually, we will likely not settle on a name until we actually see our little man.
Much love to all!
Mike, Ash, E! & Baby Murcia
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